Atlas Air Worldwide has announced strong increases in volumes, revenue and earnings for the fourth quarter and full year of 2020. These results were driven by ongoing demand for our assets and services and our operational execution. The company also provided an outlook for first-quarter 2021 earnings growth.
On a reported basis, net income totaled $184.0 million, or $6.15 per diluted share, for the three months ended December 31, 2020. Results compare with a reported loss of $410.2 million, or $15.86 per diluted share, for the three months ended December 31, 2019, which was primarily due to a noncash special charge of $616.2 million ($485.2 million after tax).
On an adjusted basis, EBITDA rose to $279.7 million in the fourth quarter of 2020 compared with $204.7 million in the prior-year period. Adjusted net income increased to $143.2 million, or $4.83 per diluted share, in the fourth quarter of 2020 compared with $98.2 million, or $3.80 per diluted share, in the prior-year period.
“We finished this unprecedented year on a strong note, with financial and operating results that exceeded our expectations. I’d like to thank everyone at Atlas for stepping up to deliver an extraordinary peak season and full year for our business and our customers,” said President and Chief Executive Officer John Dietrich.
“In the face of unrelenting operational complexities driven by the COVID-19 pandemic, we added widebody capacity, increased aircraft utilization and grew block hours to carry historic volumes, including essential goods that businesses, communities and individuals require as well as holiday e-commerce packages.
“We are leveraging our unrivaled portfolio of assets and the scale of our global network. We are also continuing to diversify our customer base and have entered into numerous long-term charter agreements with strategic customers, such as Cainiao, Flexport and HP Inc. These agreements will provide reliable and attractive revenue streams for the years ahead.
“Providing our customers with modern, fuel-efficient aircraft has been a longstanding priority at Atlas, and we were excited to announce that we ordered four new 747-8Fs from Boeing. This acquisition underscores that commitment and also demonstrates our focus on environmental stewardship through the reduction of aircraft noise, emissions and fuel consumption. The 747-8F provides 20% higher payload capacity and 16% lower fuel consumption than the very capable 747-400F, and has 25% higher capacity than the new-technology 777-200LRF. In addition, the advanced engines on the 747-8F reduce noise by approximately 30% compared to the previous generation of aircraft.
“As the world’s largest 747 freighter operator, the -8F is core to our business, and complements our diverse fleet of 747-400s, 777s, 767s and 737s. We are expecting delivery of these new aircraft from May through October 2022, and they will play a key role in advancing Atlas’ strategic growth plans for decades to come.”
He concluded: “The strong demand for our aircraft and services has continued into this quarter. We expect to fly approximately 85,000 block hours in the first quarter of 2021, with revenue of approximately $820 million, and adjusted EBITDA of about $150 million. In addition, we expect first-quarter 2021 adjusted net income to grow approximately 60% to 65% compared with adjusted net income of $29.9 million in the first quarter of 2020.*
“Due to ongoing uncertainty related to the pandemic and associated market dynamics, including ever-changing border restrictions, new variants of COVID-19 and surges in cases globally, we are not providing a full-year 2021 earnings outlook at this time.”
